William Goldman's

Magic
$7.99
Too bad this book from novelist/screenwriter William Goldman has fallen out of print. This is great psychological horror that reads fast (most of the book is dialogue) and has some genuine creepy moments. It's a kind of combination of Jekyll & Hyde meets The Tell Tale Heart mixed with magic and ventriloquism. It seems a mixed bag, but it works.

If you like the other horror books of the '70's -- The Other; Rosemary's Baby; The Exorcist; Carrie -- then you'll like this one. I've read people complain that this is like a long Twilight Zone episode, but since when is that a bad thing? The jekyll and hyde theme is one of the most basic in all of literature. And creepy dolls are SCARY! Try to find this at your local library, used book store, or garage sale. It's a great weekend read.

The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway
$20.00
I read this book first in the 1980s, while I was actually working in the theater (and I had met a few of the people talked about in the book). What I like about it so much is that Goldman expresses his opinions, especially about the fare on Broadway at the time (not so good), the deficiencies of some of the actors and actresses and his sweeping view of the whole milieu. I don't always agree with him, but he's so incisive that you gain enormous respect for him, particularly when he's writing about Judy Garland, Sandy Dennis and Tom Stoppard. Students of theater history should turn to this book to find out what a bygone era (before huge corporations and nonprofits took over Broadway) was all about.

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
$8.00
It took me awhile to find the "right" version of the Princess Bride. The description of "Princess Bride" tells of William Goldman abridging the original by S Morgenstern. I was constantly confused with Goldman's talk of Guilder and Florin and Morgenstern's original version. But, there is no Morgenstern! There are no countries of Guilder and Florin. (But Goldman's commentary at the end talk about him visiting Florin and the real Cliff's of Insanity). It is all part of Goldman's imagination. The preface and commentary talk about Goldman's struggle with Morgenstern's estate is also made up. Everything about the book's publication and legal battles are fictional. I wish I would have know that before I read the book, preface and all. It would have made more sense, but discovering this after the fact, I found it quite dissapointing.

As to the actual story: I grew up quoting the Princess Bride movie. I have most of it memorized. So, it was quite fun to relive the story. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie, so it follows the book very faithfully. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie.

Vizzini: "Fool. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is 'Never get incolved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well know in this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.'"

Classic.

"Inconcievable". "You keep using that word! I don't think it means what you think it does."

"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya (btw it took me forever as a child to learn how to pronounce that); you killed my father; prepare to die."

The book did explain in more detail the background of Inigo and his father's death. The part about Wesley's torture is pretty grusome, so skip that part. Goldman's commentary is also quite boring and contains lots of swearing.

This version contained a preface and Goldman's abridgement of the first chapter of the sequel "Buttercup's Baby". I did not like it at all. Btw, there is no sequel. Goldman never got past the first chapter. And remember Morgenstern is fictional, so the abridgement is not an abridgement but Goldman's original work.

Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade
$16.95

I made it as far as him saying that the screenwriter is the sole creative force of making movies: Production is just an assembly-line to get the script onto the screen. I work in Hollywood and find this pretension annoyingly common. There is a reason that the director gets the "A film by" credit. Don't get me wrong: The screenplay is one of, if not the most important piece of the puzzle at the start of production. However, actor performances, direction, cinematography, etc. are the immensely important elements that make a film great (or a failure). A great screenplay with horrible performances makes a crappy film. Crappy screenplays have been saved by talented directors.

I also got a kick out of how many dozens and dozens of bedtime stories like "The Princess Bride" he says he told but never wrote down and are now lost to the ages. Goldman is really in love with his talent and we should all feel lucky that he decided to share it with us. Ahhhh..... Hollywood egos.

In his defense, he is a talented screenwriter and some of his stories in the book are amusing. I just couldn't get past the all-mighty better-than-thou attitude.